RUBYRW,..... I use the lump to get my fire good and going then add the char-logs to keep the heat going, they don't put off much smoke like the direct lump does but do put out more heat. Now if I'm cooking yard bird in my WSM I only use the char logs, again because they put off more heat and less smoke.Smoke causes your chicken meat to get a pinkish hue which when comp cooking can make a judge nervous. The chickens cooked but a judge will see pink meat and think its not cooked. That's Just the way I do it and why, even when I'm cooking in the back yard, which is most of the time.

For lump I'm still working on a stash of Frontier from when Sam's Club carried it. I tried some Carbon del Sur lump from Restaurant Depot and it was good for the price but I haven't been in a RD in a while so I don't know the current price or even if RD still carries it.

Academy has many varieties of B&B charcoal available including the char logs. I haven't tried the char logs yet but they look like something useful for my trailer mounted smoker.